


Timing

by oolongteawithpudding



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Angst, Compulsory Heterosexuality, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Just gals bein pals, Mutual Pining, Sexual Harassment, discovering sexuality, lesbians au, short fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24728374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oolongteawithpudding/pseuds/oolongteawithpudding
Summary: AU where Jim (now Jen) and Pam are both lesbian. Don't ask me why, because I don't know, either.Pam couldn't imagine life without Jen. Pam never told her, but Jen was the reason that Pam could even stand Dunder Mifflin. Jen was the reason Pam could stand life.Every day, Jen noticed something new about Pam. How her hair curled, which earrings she wore, the way she brushed strand of hair off her face... she could look at Pam all day and not get bored. Jen felt so full around Pam, like Pam was pumping oxygen into her swollen heart. But, life always made sure to burst the bubble.
Relationships: Pam Beesly/Jim Halpert, Roy Anderson/Pam Beesly
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. Just Friends

LATE SEASON 1

Jen didn’t really like her job at Dunder Mifflin. She never planned to stay there for more than 6 months, but, as a rhythm formed, the months started to tick away into years. She knew not all jobs were like this one- she’d worked at normal offices before. Dunder Mifflin, on the other hand, had Michael Scott. When Pam first started, she’d come to Jen and asked her if Michael was always like this. Jen couldn’t help but laugh. Sometimes, she wanted to just report Michael for workplace harassment. It was exhausting having to cover up cleavage in fear of being honked at. But, sometimes, when Jen was sitting at her desk with a fresh cup of coffee, or joking around with Pam, she felt at peace, like her routine meant something other than churning the wheel of capitalism.

Today, Jen played another prank on Dwight. It took up most of her day- more than the actual work. The fun usually was watching Dwight’s reaction, but a lot of her attention ended up on Pam, as she giggled away at Dwight's frustration. They were best friends; Jen wanted her to be happy, and Pam hadn’t been quite her bright, smiling self recently. Pam usually kept up a good front, but she’d looked so weary when they’d gotten off work yesterday night. She didn’t even wait for Roy to join her in the car; she’d just taken off on her own. If Jen was being honest, she didn’t know what Pam saw in Roy. Any time she saw them interact, Roy would be disinterested and cold. When Pam and Roy would go somewhere or decide on something, it would always be Roy’s choice, guilting Pam into agreement. 

But, Jen had to be happy for Pam, because that’s what friends are for. Jen made an attempt to smile as Pam and Roy left the room together that night, but it might’ve turned out more like a grimace.

————  
EARLY SEASON 2

Pam sat back at her chair, thinking back to her interview. It was only the second job interview she'd ever had, one she awaited eagerly. They'd asked her if she could see herself working here for a long time, and she's answered yes without hesitation. But, whenever someone would ask Pam something existential now, Pam always had a moment of crisis. Did she really like it here? Was she doing what she wanted? Would she be here forever? Why didn’t she ever move away from Scranton? But, thinking about those things drove her crazy, so she tried to minimize those thoughts as best as she could. She definitely wasn’t unhappy. She had all the things a woman could want- a decent paying job, a hobby, friends, and, of course, a fiancée. Besides, she had fun. Half her job was looking after the five-year-old that was Michael, anyway.

She had something to look forward to that day, too. She was almost done putting together a little collage of sketches, taking little moments of time out of her day to sketch a flower or two on various sticky notes. It was nothing fancy, but she hoped it’d turn out looking like a bouquet of flowers after she taped it all together. Not many people knew about her art, not even Jen. Pam thought Roy had seen her draw before, but he probably wasn’t paying attention. So, it was just her, for now. Oh well. It was just some drawings.


	2. Casino Night

[Jen]

Jen stood in the dark, empty office, shocked. She touched her hand to her lips, feeling the cool wetness from their chaste kiss. Jen really didn't know what she was expecting, kissing her best friend- her /engaged/ best friend- right on the mouth. Her insides felt sour as she replayed Pam walking away in that dazzling purple dress, the click of her heels silenced by the carpet. She knew she had to take that Stamford job now. There was just no way around it. No more Pam. No more jokes, no more games- she knew she wouldn't find somebody like that in Stamford. There was nobody else like Pam.  
Jen braced herself against the desk, and cradled her face in her hands. How could she have been such an idiot?

[Pam]

Pam ran down the stairs of the office, face frozen in bewilderment, cheeks flushed. She descended down the steps of the warehouse carefully, trying to go unnoticed.  
"Hey, Pam!" said Roy, smiling, walking over to her.  
Pam sighed, and stepped off the last stair.  
"Hi, Roy."  
Roy smiled, but he squinted at Pam's face.  
"What's wrong, babe?"  
"Nothing, nothing." Pam forced a smile, "Uh, are you guys playing ping-pong? That looks fun."  
"Yeah, I won two rounds." Roy smiled, pleased with himself.  
"That's great. I'm going to grab a pina colada."  
"Alright." said Roy.  
As he went back to his game, Pam walked over to the table and took a drink, staring at it. It dawned on her that she really had cheated, and she bit her lip anxiously. She always liked to try to do the right thing, and kissing Jen hadn't felt wrong. She couldn't keep it from Roy like this. She couldn't lie to herself anymore. She didn't know what love was supposed to feel like until she met Jen. She'd never soared so high as she'd done when she'd kissed her.  
She sipped half-heartedly at the too-sweet drink, placing herself behind one of the shelves. She wondered if Jen would come back down here, shake it off like nothing had happened. Maybe they could go back to the way they were, just two friends having fun. She could already feel the distance between them growing. She couldn't even turn to Roy. She sighed, and wondered why she'd ever been hopeful that she and Jen could work out.  
She put down her drink, and walked over to the ping-pong table. She made something up about being tired, and they walked out together arm in arm. They broke up on the way home.


	3. Stamford

[Pam]

The first day without Jen was the longest day Pam had ever spent at Dunder Mifflin- even longer than the day Dwight'd almost burned the building down. How had he not been fired?... Pam opened the bottom drawer of her desk, looking at the $5 bulk bag of jelly beans. She was surprised that the jelly beans at the bottom hadn't already fused together. She shrugged to herself, and took a handful of beans to fill her candy dispenser. She sighed. Jen usually got here 5 or 10 minutes early, just like Pam did. She'd always claimed it was to show good work ethic, but since when did Jen care about work ethic...?  
People began to trickle in. Michael made a crude comment about Pam's breasts as he greeted her, but Pam was too tired to care at this point. Michael had to have some kind of delusion to think that his overtired receptionist would even be remotely interested. But, that was Michael, delusion layered on top of delusion.  
There was only one thing on her mind, and she was a lifetime away in Stamford. Pam felt around in her purse for a chapstick, but her hand rested atop her phone instead. She could send a friendly text, "How are u settling in?" But, she couldn't, not just two days after they'd kissed. She was angry at herself for admitting it, angry at Jen for initiating it, but she couldn't blame Jen. They'd both known what they'd had. She could only blame herself, for letting her best friend get away.  
"Hi!"  
Pam snapped into reality, greeted with the smiling face of Kelly. Oh, boy.  
"Hi, Kelly."  
"You look so sad! What's wrong?"  
"Oh, nothing, just a lot of traffic this morning," Pam chuckled awkwardly.  
"Aw, are you sad because of Jen?"  
Pam said nothing, searching for words. But, before she could speak, Kelly interjected.  
"I get it, you know, you guys were like, best friends, that sucks. Oh, my god, if Ryan transferred, I'd literally kill myself."  
Kelly sighed.  
"Well, I don't think Ryan's going to transfer." said Pam.  
"I know! Oh, my god, did I show you the necklace he got me yesterday?" Kelly held up her necklace. "See? It's a little heart! And it opens up, you can, like, put pictures in there and stuff!"  
"That's great, Kelly..."  
Pam tuned out the rest of Kelly's yapping, and decided to get lunch after. She brought her sandwich into the break room and got a grape soda. Jen's favorite flavor.

****************************************************************  
[Jen]

Jen parked her car in the designated space of her new apartment's lot. Spot number 427- it was weird; there were only about sixty cars in this complex but it had to remain a mystery unsolved. Moving to a whole new place had tired her out. She had to learn the ways of this different world, figure out how to get along with the locals, and make a place for herself all within one day. Ok, maybe it's supposed to take a while, but she felt like she had to be fast. She reassured herself, just as she had done several times throughout the day, that life was good. Her apartment was clean, she didn't have to deal with Michael, and she got along with everybody at work.  
A thought popped up. "But, you miss Pam," it said. Jen shook her head, willing it to go away. She'd already put her reputation- hell, her career on the line when she kissed Pam, when she felt her body heat against hers, her soft cheek against her hand... but Pam rejected her. Jen had spent that night wondering why- was it Roy? Was Pam straight? Or, was it about the friendship? Jen knew she could never know. Stamford was her life now, and Pam had to stay in the past.


End file.
